Ílíhení Arch collapse

The Ílíhení Arch collapse, otherwise known as the Ílíhení Disaster, was the collapse of a wave-cut arch in Vitirié, beginning with the partial collapse of a residential area of Ílíhení on the morning of 4 October 2017, killing 23 people as they slept - this was the only day in which there were fatalities. The whole town was subsequently evacuated two days later, leaving over 3,500 citizens in temporary accommodation across the whole archipelago of Vitirié. The arch continued to collapse throughout October and November, with the town centre falling on October 28, and the last remnant of the arch on November 11. It is the deadliest single event to occur in Vitirié, both before and after independence.

The Geological Survey of Vitirié (GSV) then released a report to the public that was sent to the Vitirese government on 20 August 2017, warning of a potential geological disaster in the midst of Hurricane Hugo, but the government did not respond to this report at any point. As a result, national grief turned into anger; protests crippled the nation leading to the kidnapping of the Leader of Environment by vigilantes, and for the last week of November, no parliamentary proceedings occurred due to the scale of the protests. The situation has since calmed down, with Láreça Mèravi, the Leader of Vitirié, promising change. However, 79% of the former residents of Ílíhení remain in temporary accommodation or homeless.